Sicker Than You Know
by neonjays
Summary: Neil was in the passenger seat, eating the life savers with his feet propped up on the dashboard. "Hm?" he said quietly with his eyes closed. "Did you expect me to believe that?" Eva said back. "We've known each other for such a long time. Can't just tell me what's wrong?" What he said made her hurt inside. "I can't."


**There are not enough fanfictions for To The Moon!I'm really glad to finally contribute, although this certainly isn't my greatest work. I'm sick right now, so if there are any errors I'm sorry, although I truly hope this tiny fandom will enjoy this anyway!**

Another patient's memory was fully traversed. Another final wish had come true. Eva Rosalene and Neil Watts sat on the beach contentedly, watching a young man merrily parasail above the deep, sparkling blue ocean. "It's unusual wish." Eva began, digging her hands into the warm, synthetic sand. "Getting to parasail over a California Beach."

"I'd ask for something more rare or hard to achieve." Neil declared. He crossed his arm and playfully stuck out his bottom lip.

"Some people find happiness in the simplest things." Eva looked to her co-worker. He was now looking directly forward, obviously staring off into space. "What would you ask for if you had to have a final wish?"

Neil snapped back into the memory scape the two doctors were located in. "Huh?...Well..." he looked down. A few moments passed and he tilted his head forward again with a smile. "I dunno. What would you?"

"I feel like I have everything." Eva said. She felt utter content then; not a single bad thought about herself or unfulfilledness could come to mind. "There isn't all that much I'd want to change."

"That's...cool." Was all Neil could utter out. Suddenly, his artificial memory body began to flicker.

"What?" Eva jumped up. "Are you okay? Is your headgear malfunctioning?"

Neil winced. The odd expression on his glitching seemed strangely full of pain. "Probably." Neil said, beginning to look uncomfortable. "Let's fast forward the rest of this memory then. This guy is about gone anyway."

Dr. Rosaline nodded. She did enjoy the sandy shore, but her partner was right. She sighed, and exited the patient's mind.

The two scientists opened their eyes slowly, their vision adjusting to the differences in the real world. The patient's grown daughter was solemnly grasping the wrinkled hand of her now deceased father. "He's g-gone." she stammered with a whimper. Eva walked over slowly and put her hand on the young lady's shoulder.

"I'm sorry." Eva said softly. "You should know your dad lived a very fulfilling life."

"I know." the daughter replied, lifting her head. "I won't let this be in vain. He died peacefully."

"Then I guess our job is done here." The brown-haired scientist with thick glasses began to pack up the machine.

He nodded to Eva. "Alright." she said. "We had better head back now." Eva motioned to Dr. Watts to pick up the box of equipment. They headed out of the bedroom, and the daughter followed them out.

"I'll walk you out." she said. "I need to phone father's doctor anyway."

The three walked into the living room before the front door. The room was lit with pretty yellow lights and an expensive, red rug was laid out neatly over the oak flooring. "Hang on, let me get the last of the paperwork." The patient's daughter quickly walked into a nearby room.

Eva noticed that Neil no longer had his bright, cheesy smile. In its place was a concerned, pain-filled grimace. His face was fallen to a sickly pale. "What's wrong with you?!" Eva asked quickly. "You look sick."

Neil put down the machine box. He exhaled deeply and leaned over with his shaking hands on his knees. "I just..." Within a moment, Neil's vision blurred into darkness and he fell on the ground unconscious.

"Oh my gosh!" Eva shouted. She leaned over Dr. Watts. "What on earth?!"

The daughter walked back into the room. "Here is the final paperwork-" She then saw the man sprawled on the ground. "Dear, heavens!" she cried in a sudden panic. "What happened?"

Eva shook her head slowly. "He just passed out! This is so weird."

Neil then began to stir. He slowly opened his eyes, and blinked until his glasses came to work for his eyes. He sat up.

"Are you alright?" The patient's daughter asked as he began to sit up.

"Uh...yea!" He replied, his face burning red in embarrassment as he realized what had happened.

"Does this happen often...?" She asked.

Eva cut in. "Sometimes! He has low blood sugar!"

"Oh!" the daughter said. "Let me get you some candy before you leave then." She headed to the kitchen and brought back a package of life savers. She handed the colorfully wrapped package to Neil, who was now standing. He took it gratefully and popped in a red candy.

"My condolences." Eva said solemnly. She picked up the machine and began to head put the door with her partner. "I wish the best to you and your family."

"Thank you, and thanks for everything." The daughter said weakly. She nodded as the two doctors walked outside, and closed the door behind them.

-

Dr. Rosalene stared forward at the dark road in front of her. The headlights of the black, company car illuminated the highway in front of it. She held the steering wheel with a tight grasp, then breathed in and out deeply. "I bailed you out back there." she said rather loudly.

Neil was in the passenger seat, eating the life savers with his feet propped up on the dashboard. "Hm?" he said quietly with his eyes closed.

"We both know you don't actually get low blood sugar." Eva said with slight tones of anger and confusion in her voice. "What freaking happened? Why did you suddenly faint?"

"No reason." Neil said. "I guess I just wasn't feeling well."

Eva rolled her eyes. "That's not an excuse."

Neil didn't say another word.

The dark-haired lady bit her lip. "Is...is it the same reason you take painkillers?"

"I told you I ran into a wall!" Neil snapped. He brought his feet down from the dashboard and crossed his arms tightly.

"Did you expect me to believe that?" Eva said back. "We've known each other for such a long time. Can't just tell me what's wrong?"

Eva had expected Neil to pout and say he was utterly fine. But instead, what he said made her hurt inside.

"I can't."

Neil looked out the side window toward the dark night outside. The next several minutes were completely silent and the atmosphere seemed to grow cold. A while passed, and Neil suddenly felt pain consume his body. The sharpness made him wince and hunch over.

Eva noticed this. "You okay?"

Neil looked over at her. "Yes..." he prayed the hurt would quickly pass, so he would not have to use his prescription medicine in front of his friend. To his relief, the sharp ache dissolved without the use of medicine.

"Better?" Eva saw Neil begin to relax again.

Neil again didn't answer.

-

"Wait!" Neil pressed his face up against the cold, glass window as the car came to a halt. Before the car was a suburb of townhouses. "Why did you take me home? We're supposed to go to the company to file the paperwork!"

"I can do that myself." Eva said, slightly annoyed at the thought. "You obviously need rest."

Neil pouted like a child. "Alright. If it means I don't have to do paperwork." He opened the door and stepped out into the cold night. His breath crystalized in the freezing air. He waved goodbye to Eva, ate his last life saver, and walked into his home.

-

Eva stepped into her office the next morning, sighing at the thought of having to work. She had come in late. She was horribly tired from the previous night. She yawned and stretched in her swiveling, blue office chair, then began to type. A while had passed, ad she began to feel concerned that her annoying partner had not showed up to bother her yet. She decided to check on him. His office was across from hers, so only laziness kept her from the task. But her paranoid mind persisted, and she got up to check on her co-worker.

Eva Rosalene knocked on the door of Neil's office. When no answer came, she turned the handle and cautiously peered in. To her surprise, it was empty and computer was off. Eva made her way to the boss's office- and she was told that Neil had called in sick early that morning.

During break, Eva took her phone and dialed the number belonging to Neil. It rang several times before the man answered. "Hello?" Neil said slowly. His voice sounded terribly off.

"I wanted to...uh...see how you were doing."

"I'm sorta sick."

"Oh. 'Cause last night?"

"I dunno. I have a fever. I guess you could say I'm pretty hot."

"Oh, shut up. I just wanted to see if you were actually okay. Do you want me to come by later and bring you some soup or something?"

"Whoa, what's with all the sympathy?"

"The faster you get better, the faster you can do your own paperwork."

"That's the Eva I know!"

Dr. Rosalene ended the conversation there. She set her phone down on her desk. She thought about the past few years. Neil and she had been rather bitter -in a joking way- towards each other. But after last night, Eva had begun to deeply wonder about the condition her partner was obviously hiding. She wondered, though, was she considering being nicer to Neil because she felt she should be a good friend in his hurt, or only because she wanted to get out of him what was wrong? She pushed the thought away and continued work.

-

The young woman drove her car through the suburbs, as flakes of white snow began to lightly fall onto the ground. She stopped in front of a somewhat familiar home. Before exiting the old car, she grabbed a pot of soup she had made from a recipe both her sister and her enjoyed.

She knocked loudly on the solid door. The coldness made her knuckles hurt, but the slight uncomfortableness of actually having to go in Neil's house gave her strength. Several moments passed before the handle began to turn. Neil opened it, and motioned for Eva to enter.

"Welcome to my castle." he said in a raspy voice. Eva noticed how incredibly terrible he looked. His hair was sticking out on different directions and his face was sickly pale. His glasses were crooked. He sat down on his couch. "Sorry for the mess."

"Whatever." Eva said in response. She set the pot of soup on the coffee table, pushing away a tissue box in order to make room. "Do you want me to serve you some?"

Neil shook his head. "I'm not hungry at all. I'll eat some later."

Eva shrugged, placed her hands on her hips, and looked around. "I guess I'll be going then. Get well soon."

As she headed for the door, Neil stood up and grabbed her hand. "Wait!" he said quickly, then sitting back down.

Eva sat down beside him, a generous distance away. "What is it?"

Neil took of his glasses. Eva could then see his eyes were swelling with tears. "Eva, you asked me what my final wish would be."

Eva nodded slowly. An odd feeling filled her heart. She couldn't tell what it was at first, but later recognized it with a blush.

"I lied. I actually do know what it's gonna be."

"Gonna?" Eva felt her heart break at Neil's next words.

"Eva...My wish is that I don't want to be lonely...And you're going to have to remember that."

(end)


End file.
